Good Evening Mustang Families,

We hope everyone had a great first week back to school. Despite the rainy weather, the campus was buzzing as students reconnected with friends and started getting back into the learning mode. It's going to be a great spring!

I wanted to share some information about the attendance letters that went home to families before winter break. Our offices received a number of questions and concerns about these letters and I hope I can add some clarity. The SDUSD is making a renewed effort to remind students and families of the importance of attending school. These letters were sent to all families for informational purposes, not just to those whose attendance is an issue. These letters will be sent monthly from the central office not from the site. If our site has concerns about your student's attendance then an administrator, counselor, or teacher will contact the parent/guardian directly. I recognize the renewed emphasize on attendance while at the same time encouraging students to stay home with any symptoms, as well as commitment to student well being, can seem like mixed messaging. Our position at MMS is that students certainly need to be at school, just not at the expense of the health and well being of themselves and their classmates. The key to clarifying any confusion or misunderstanding is communication. If you have questions or concerns about whether or not your student should be in school, reach out to a counselor or administrator and together we can work on what's best for your student.

Have a great week!

Josh Way, Ed.D

Please join the MMS’ Teens Make Health Happen Club members for our MLK Day of Service Beach Clean Up Event on January 21st. We are partnering with I Love a Clean San Diego to help to maintain the beauty of San Diego ’s Beaches while bringing awareness to the marine litter problem!

The event takes place on Saturday, January 21st, 2023 at 9:30 am, at Mission Bay-Fiesta Island, 1750 Fiesta Island Rd San Diego, CA 92109.

Please contact Associate Principal Edwards (ledwards@sandi.net) to sign up or if you have any questions. Download a waiver here

Back in December, the MMS Counseling Department presented high school planning information to 8th grade students and their parents/guardians. If you missed it, here's a copy of the presentation, as well as some additional resources:

4-Year Plan Presentation

High School vs UC-CSU Requirements.pdf

Math Pathways.pdf

CCTE- Course Sequence for Pathways.pdf

Don't forget! Information regarding the 8th grade matriculation will be routinely updated on the MMS counseling website.

MMS is excited to introduce you to Science teacher Mrs. Samantha Doerner. Mrs. Doerner joined Marshall during the pandemic but has a rich experience not only teaching but also working with the district science team in writing and creating science curriculum. Here's more about Mrs. Doerner:

How many years in education?- I have been teaching for 9 years and have had the unique experience of teaching science at ever grade level (Kindergarten to 12th grade)! In addition to teaching science in the classroom, I also work as a district science fellow helping to grow science education throughout all of San Diego Unified.

Why middle school?- I chose middle school because students at this age are engaged, curious, and funny! I enjoy investigating phenomena and learning together with my students.

What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?- I am a member of the San Diego Mineral and Gem Society. I take classes in faceting and cab cutting, and love to spend times at the different mines in San Diego searching for minerals. I also enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and my dog Rocky!

What impact do you hope to make at Marshall?- I hope to help our Marshall students develop a lifelong love of science and learning!

Marshall Middle Parents!

Here is a quick reminder of our special events coming up:

• The end of the semester is coming up on the 20th and those grades get sent to the district, So, make sure your kid has nothing missing or left to make up.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day is coming up on Monday, January 16, so no school on that day.
• Since February is around the corner, The ASB is going to be selling Valentine's Grams February 6-10.

Be sure to check out our new logos to our ApparelNow shop, so there are more options for customizing your Marshall Spirit Wear! All proceeds help fund ASB activities on campus, so be sure to check it out! Show your school spirit all year!

Website: https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/marshallmiddleasb/home

ApparelNow: https://apparelnow.com/marshall-middle-school-spiritwear

TikTok: @theactualmarshallasb

Instagram: @asb.marshall

Facebook: @Marshall ASB

A common belief among many in our field is that learners come to new learning opportunities as empty vessels ready to be filled. A natural instinct, for example, is to think that a student new to Chemistry has no foundational knowledge about Chemistry. Therefore, we must fill the empty vessel with all of our new chemistry knowledge once they come to class. However, science about learning tells us otherwise. All learners bring some sort of understanding to every new learning context, even if it's incomplete or incorrect. As educators and parents, it's important to understand this and seek out how to find out what preconceptions or misconceptions students currently have before we add new knowledge. Otherwise, they will hold on to those previous misconceptions even after new knowledge has been added. This article shares some common misconceptions that many of us have about geography. A fun exercise is to think about how these misconceptions might lead to our understanding of the world and how cultures interact.